


The Unsung

by PeacefulTyrant (Passionate_Angel)



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alien Mythology/Religion, Angst, F/F, F/M, Implied Sticky Sexual Interfacing, It Gets Better?, M/M, Multi, War, implied sparkling death, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-04-19 02:08:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14226798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Passionate_Angel/pseuds/PeacefulTyrant
Summary: Outliers: An anomaly in a Cybertronian's spark that brings out an unnatural ability. Note: Most of these abilities are perfect for gaining the upper servo in conflict...The Academy was nothing but a front for something far sinister. I should've known, I should've seen it. But now it's too late...we're here, in the darkness...and now there's only one thing left to do...Survive the war.





	1. Prologue

He won’t stop crying. ‘I'm a monster’ he keeps saying. He’s not a monster, he’s my brother. Please stop crying, we’ll get out of this one day, we have to.

They’re all hurting, they all cry. I need to be strong…for my family…

* * *

My Conjunx Endura…where’s my mate…love…where are you…

I scream. The bullet wound hurts.

“Dodge it, dammit!”

Monsters, fiends, torturous slaggers.

* * *

Pin me down, destroy my frame, or use me at your whim. I don’t care. I will never give them anything, not even my existence. They will never break my spirit. He will come for us, I know it.

What? You want another? Fine, I’ll lie here and let you take what you want, but I will give you nothing in the end.

* * *

See me, see me, see me.

“You know the drill, if the cameras catch you, you get punished!”

See me, see me, see me.

“Doesn’t she like pain?”

“Not this kind.”

I want to be seen. Please. See me.

…I don’t want to disappear…

* * *

Cold. So cold. Freezing, biting, hurts…

I'm fading…so cold…can’t…

_Don’t give in._

_Never surrender._

_You're letting them win!_

_You can make it!_

_…Live…_

Her voice…how long has it been since I’ve heard her voice…

* * *

How long…how long have I been fighting for?

Kill to live, die in here and you die out there!

“No one’s ever made it this far into the program.”

“No one’s ever had as much to lose as she does.”

When I get out of here…I’ll kill him…

Do you hear that?

That’s the sound of Death.

And it’s coming for you…

…Optimus Prime…


	2. Moving up in the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do excuse the many time skips, but it's for the benefit of the story, it'll become a slow burn in a few chapters. Also, I used the pictures in The Covenant of Primus to describe Iacon and Kaon.

~Moonbeam's POV~

Why do they always plea for their lives in the end? Why do they bother to beg when we have no mercy for their kind? Why do they still fight when they know that we are the messengers of Death?

Stupid Autobots.

I dart out from my hiding spot, guns charged and ready to fire. It only takes a sparkbeat to lock onto my target. The sight of his red insignia staring at me adds even more fuel to the already roaring fire of rage that's racing through my lines.

Kill them! Remember what he did! Kill them all! Eradicate those who follow that which is falsehood!

Yet the blast that takes the mech's life isn't from either my guns.

"I had him you aft!" I screech at Solarflare, the eldest of my younger siblings.

"Ha! And I got 'em!" she grins right at me, "Anyway, that was the last one, wasn't it?"

"Never assume it's the last one," I snap.

With a hiss I spin around as another gun goes off; thankfully, it's my brother's. I look at the large hole in his target's chassis as a dark chuckle vibrates in my throat.

"Nice shot," I say to Read Giant.

He just glares at Solarflare and I before marching away, "Base said that's the last one. We are to report back to the ship immediately."

"What?" Solarflare scoffs, "What do you mean, 'immediately'? What about our scavenge for spare parts and slag?"

"Commander Starscream has arrived earlier than expected!" A little white seeker hurries into the main yard of the wrecked Autobot outpost; my other brother - White Dwarf - quickly retracts his data cables as his sightless optics stare at the wall behind me, "If we don't go now we're going to be-"

"In trouble?" Nebula laughs as she seems to materialise from the shadows, "Don't worry sweetspark, Starhopper already teleported to the ship. I bet she's using that lovely, innocent charm of hers to help with her excuses made up on our behalf."

"Then we'd better get going," as soon as I give the order we all transform and take to the skies.

* * *

It's a good thing we left when we did, because we arrive at the ship's bridge just as our Captain is talking to a certain Seeker.

"I'm extremely sorry, Commander Starscream," Skidmark says to the Decepticon Second in Command as he wrings his servos together, "but I must decline. Lord Megatron may have any member of my crew, but not those Seekers."

"Too bad," Starscream sighs, checking his claws and waving Skidmark away with his other servo, "you've been keeping a presumed-to-be-deceased gladiator hidden from Megatron. And if he is the gladiator I think he is, I doubt our Lord and Master will be pleased with your little secret. However, I may let it slide if we come to an agreement."

"No," the Captain mutters.

"No? No what?"

Skidmark takes a deep invent, "No, Commander Starscream, I cannot allow the Seekers to be taken away from my care."

Starscream lets out a bark of laughter, " _Care_? What are you, their Sitter?"

"If you had checked all of their files, _Sir_ , you would know that-"

I force out a loud cough, "I do hope I'm not interrupting?"

"Ah, and here are the new recruits," the Seeker strides over to my siblings and I, holding out a servo for me to take.

I frown at the offered appendage as a dozen ways to sever it come to mind: pulling, cutting, ripping, breaking, forced self mutilation...

Starscream clears his intake and forces a crooked smile, servo retreating to his side, "I presume you know who I am?"

"Lord Starscream, Second in Command of the Decepticons and candidate for the throne of Vos."

The mech smirks as his optics scan me from pedes to helm, "Hmm, and I may be looking at the future Matriarch of Vos, if I win the election."

Solarflare snorts with laughter and I glare back at her.

~Oh no, I'm not laughing at you~ she says through our sparkbond, ~just at the fact that he still has all his limbs intact after what he said~

~...I am trying to refrain from ripping his wings off~

~Aw, c'mon, take a compliment for once~ Nebula chuckles.

I ignore them and turn back to the silver Seeker, "You said that we are 'new recruits', query: what did you mean by that?"

Starscream groans and looks away, "Oh Primus, please don't talk like that, you remind me of Soundwave. And as for your...'query'," he forces the word through clenched denta, "you are being transferred to Head Quarters. Lord Megatron has read several reports on your combat skills and abilities, but recently he managed to come by some footage of your hexad in action; oh, you should have seen him. Whatever connection he and your large, red brother have," he singles Red Giant out with a wave of his servo, "...well, he must mean a lot to Megatron, because he was absolutely livid that he wasn't notified of your brother's safety."

I blink, I sigh and I nod, "...Are you done listening to your own voice? Because if you are, then perhaps we should not keep Lord Megatron waiting and be on our way."

* * *

Solarflare stretches out on her temporary berth in our crowded quarters, "Ah, it feels good to be going home, doesn't it Red?"

"Indeed," my larger brother stares out the window of Starscream personal transporter, "it has been far too long since I last stood in Kaon. I haven't been there since..."

We all avoid each other's gazes as Red Giant's unspoken words hang in the air.

The Senate.

I turn to Solarflare to quickly change the subject, "So, um, Solarflare, are you going to reopen your bar in Kaon?"

Nebula perks up, "Oh yes, The Bar, it was such a quaint little place, I have missed our rendezvous there."

"I wouldn't say it was little," Solarflare forces a smile, "or...quaint."

Starhopper decides to join in, "Remember that fight Red got into?"

"The stuck up noble was hitting on Soundwave during a very important Decepticon meeting with Megatronus; I just happened to be there to do the grunt work for him." I swear, every time this story comes up, my brother gives the exact same argument in his defence.

"Moonbeam," Whit Dwarf mutters, taking his servo off his datapad for a moment, "didn't you used to hate the Decepticons? You complained about them every time you set foot in Kaon."

"Yes, well, as you know, I was a different femme back then," I sigh, giving my brother a smile that he will never see, "my views on the rebellion were influenced by the citizens of Iacon, the citizens I helped to protect."

"So, technically," Nebula smirks and waves a digit at me, "this is the first time you've wanted to go to Kaon."

I shrug, "I suppose so."

Suddenly the loud speaker crackles to life and the familiar screech of Starscream's voice pierces my audials, "Ladies and gentlemech, your attention please. We shall be arriving at the space bridge within a groon."

Dwarf whimpers and rubs his audio receptors, "If he keeps shouting like that I'm gonna be blind _and_ deaf before we even _reach_ Cybertron."

"We'd best power down while we can," Red leaves his brooding post at the window and goes to sit on his and Dwarf's berth, "I doubt we'll have a chance to recharge for the next few joors."

We all silently agree with him and prepare for a quick nap before the onslaught that we're likely to receive upon our arrival.

* * *

I walk in front of my siblings as we make our way from the space bridge under the city of Kaon to the busy streets above ground. Nebula was right, this is the first time I've come here without White Dwarf having to drag me here. A couple of times a vorn - before the war - the six of us would all meet at Solarflare's bar here in Kaon. Dwarf and I would travel from Iacon, Nebula lived in Helex and our rendezvous were always timed with Starhopper's vacation time. She was an ambassador living with a colony of Triple-Changers on the other side of the Sea of Rust and had a set schedule for when she was allowed to leave.

"You're nervous," White Dwarf's voice pulls me from my thoughts of better times, I look back to see him holding our brother's arm as he stares up at Red.

"No I'm not," the ex-gladiator huffs, but allows his smaller sibling to cling to him.

My youngest brother is probably right, Red has trouble hiding his emotions when they become too overwhelming and when that happens some of it can leak into the split-spark bond my two brothers share. I slow down and let my siblings catch up with me; yes, I can now clearly see the skittish look on Red Giant's face as his optics dart around, searching for who knows what.

Yet as we near the beginning of the path to citadel his optics widen and he almost trips over his own pedes. I focus on where he's looking and manage to make out the faint outline of the Deception's Third in Command, Spymaster and Head Officer of Communications - Soundwave.

"Sir," Red Giant gives the mech a sheepish smile and offers him a servo, "It is good to see you again."

Soundwave regards the crimson servo for a moment, then merely nods and shakes it once.

"Lord Megatron. Is. Waiting for you." Several prerecorded voices speak to create a sentence on Soundwave's behalf.

"Of course," my brother goes to take the lead, but hesitates, "Um...Moonbeam?"

Without a word I step forward, hoping that the chain of command within my hexad is now clear to the Decepticon TIC. While I can't see his optics, I can definitely feel him studying my entire frame with a critic like gaze; then he turns without commenting and escorts us towards the citadel.

The architecture of Kaon is nothing like that of Iacon. For the first time I look at the City of Gladiators through new optics; Iacon was but a simple, flat, boring shadow of Kaon, whose towers reach for the sky and with countless roads suspended between them. Iacon was a place of order, schedules and rules; Kaon is a city that breathes with life and freedom, a testimony to the peace that Megatron preached throughout his gladiator career, a living example of the world he has promised to those that stand with him.

I shake my helm, glaring at the natives who stare and snigger at my gawking.

"Keep up, Moonbeam!" Starhopper calls back.

Trying to not look too much like a tourist again, I quicken my pace and retake my place at the head of my hexad.

**

* * *

_Tick, tick, tick._

It's the first noise I hear after the doors to the throne room swing open at the mere sight of Soundwave, who doesn't falter in his phantom-like movements as he approaches the throne. The doors close as he falls to one knee at the foot of the stairs leading to the grand chair, bowing his helm and resting an elbow on his knee.

_Tick, tick, tick._

I can't look at him, yet I know he's tapping the arm of the throne with a single claw.

 _Tick_.

He doesn't frighten me. Nothing about him is truly intimidating.

 _Tick_.

I know him, spent the better part of my life studying him and those he keeps close. I know his fighting style, the true story of his rise to power, how many opponents he killed in the Pits of Kaon, the size of his ego, the respect his reputation demands, and th-

...There's no more ticking.

...But there _are_ heavy pede steps.

My gaze snaps up and his ruby optics lock onto mine.

Megatron - leader of the Decepticons, conquerer of nearly half of Cybertron and Lord of the Free Cities - is standing only two steps in front of my family and I.

The room is silent as his optics slowly, tactfully study each and every one of us, his expression never changing from the stern, unreadable look he is famous for. I feel what I assume to be his EM field gently brush against my own taunt one. Curiosity is the most prominent emotion I sense, yet I push it aside and dig deeper, seeking more; content and pride are all I find, which only confuses me. Ah, wait...amusement? I look at him again and catch a glimpse of an ever so faint smile at the corner of his derma, then it's gone.

The ex-gladiator's inspection of my siblings promptly stops at Red Giant.

My brother nods, "Sir."

"Come now, I'll have none of those stupid formalities from a fellow brother of the Pits!" Megatron laughs, taking a single stride forward and wrapping his arms around Red, lifting him off the ground in some sort of brotherly bear-hug.

Red's optics widen and he lets out a strangled noise as his plating creeks a little under the affectionate assault, "It's-it's good to see you, my Lord."

The silver mech puts my brother down, stepping back as he frowns for a moment, "Now, now, I said no formalities," he smiles again, albeit softer than the slag eating grin he was wearing before, "but all that aside, it is good to have you back, Red Giant."

I clear my throat.

Megatron's attention returns to me, his smile changing into a more serious - yet still relaxed - look, "Ah, and these five must be," he pauses for a moment, then gestures to each of us in turn, "Nebula, how could I forget you," she gives him a smirk with a little wave, "Starhopper," she bows, "I could never forget your face, Solarflare," my other half chuckles, "White Dwarf," the little seeker gives him a shy smile, "and...Moonblast, was it?"

"Moon _beam_ , my Lord," I correct him, not caring enough to batter a shutter at the mistake.

"Apologies, my dear," he looks right at me, "it has been quite some time since I last heard your brother gush about the love he has for his family," he laughs, putting an arm around the large seeker's shoulders.

"I didn't... _gush_..." Red Giant mutters.

"I am _not_ your dear," I hiss through clenched denta.

"Again, my deepest apologies, Moonbeam," thankfully he corrects himself for good, this time, "Soundwave, show these Seekers to the officer's medical bay; Red Giant can join them shortly, he and I have much to discuss."

* * *

 ~~~~Solarflare quickens her stride and walks beside me, eying what I assume to be Soundwave's aft before blinking rapidly and frowning at me, "For a klik there I thought you were gonna kill him."

"He was _mocking_ me," I grit my denta together, not bothering to look at her.

"I dunno," she nudges my arm with an elbow, "I saw him checking you out back there, and that little smile, I think-"

"You do recall me stating - on a number of occasions - that I have absolutely no interest in interfacing."

"Yeah, you're a real drag," Nebula mutters behind me.

Solarflare gives an exaggerated sigh and rolls her optics, "But this is _Megatron_! Conquerer, liberator, gladiator and warlord! You're a sleek, battle crazed femme; surely a beefy, powerful fighter like him makes you feel _something_!"

I give her a deadpan look, "Nothing."

"C'mon," she's pushing her luck now, "he's big, strong, respected by many. Just imagine a night in his lavish quarters, tending to his needs-"

And the line has been crossed!

"NO!" I snarl, stopping and spinning to face her, "No! I ref-"

I stop as I notice Soundwave staring over his shoulder at us.

"Is some. Thing. Wrong?"

Nebula steps between Solarflare and myself, beaming at the Communications Officer, "Oh, it's nothing really, just some sibling banter. You know what it's like, I'm sure your symbionts are just as loud."

The mech's field fluctuates for a brief moment and I feel a soft wave of affection at the mention of his little team, then it vanishes as quickly as it appeared and he begins walking once more. We follow, continuing out previous conversation in softer voices.

"As I was saying," I snap at my fiery sister, "I will not - I repeat - will not submit to anyone's _needs_ , spread my legs and _submit_ like some pleasure-bot," Nebula coughs and I give her a quick, apologetic look, " _especially_ if it's some higher up just trying to get under my panel for a quick bit of _fun_."

And I'll slit the throat of anyone who says I should do otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I made Moonbeam a ditzy fan girl in Light within the Darkness, but I'm going for a bit of tsundere here. So strap yourselves in, because she's gonna be a real bitch!


	3. Genesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly getting darker. I forgot to mention that this is a slow burn kinda story.

~Red Giant's POV~

Home.

Finally.

It's been far too long.

I walk slowly, letting my optics take in every familiar surface; the small patches of rust on the buildings, the bustling streets below the citadel, the gladiator pits next to the old market. I take in the heavy smell of the city, listen to the crowd and reach out to brush the rusty wall beside me.

Kaon.

My only regret is that I was not here to see the city on the day when it was relinquished of its tyrannous leaders; when slaves, miners and gladiators rose as one and struck down the Masters.

"Did it feel good?"

Megatron pauses for a moment before continuing his walk beside me, "What do you mean?"

This time - when I ask my question - I look at him, "The day of the uprising, what did it make you feel?"

He's silent for a while, diverting his path to step out onto a balcony and stare at the city below. I stand beside him, like Soundwave I will always be completely loyal to the cause, yet unlike him I was not here to see its most important milestone.

Megatron sighs, offering me a faint smile, "It was...liberating."

I nod, "Good."

He turns and leans back against the railing, "And what about you? How did Project Genesis treat you?"

Thirty-seven

Helm snaps to the right, optics demanding answers, "How..?"

"When we stormed Iacon, Soundwave managed to download the entire database into his hard drives," my Lord frowns, "it would have killed him, if it hadn't been for his symbionts."

"Those files were heavily encrypted..." no, no data can be kept from the Spymaster, no secrets are safe from him, I bite my derma and stare at my pedes, "Don't tell my family...please."

"I won't," I look up as a servo gently grips my shoulder, "I'm...I'm so very sorry for what they did to you."

"Who knows?"

"Only Soundwave, my CMO and myself, Soundwave wiped that bit of data from the main system. The only remaining copy resides in his personal terminal, which is in his quarters."

There's silence as I quickly bury my pain once more.

"How..." Megatron chews his derma and steps around me so his back is facing mine, "I realise I am overstepping my boundaries here, but I must know...how many?"

"...Thirty-seven."

I'm appreciate the complete lack of pity in his field as he turns to face me, the last thing I want - or need - is pity. Instead there's anger, hatred, sorrow and pain; but I know none of it is aimed at me, it's all for the Senate.

* * *

 

Our silent walk takes us under the citadel, where all the public transport usually resides when it's not in use. But what I find there is something entirely different.

"The...the silly little sketch you carved on your cell wall," I whisper.

He throws his helm back and laughs, "While overcharged, I may add!"

 _The Nemesis_.

...Well, barely half of its skeletal structure right now. But there's no mistaking the shape.

Vorns ago, when hope was in short supply in the pits, someone managed to snag an illegal stash of high grade as payment for keeping quiet about something they overheard the guards talking about. Needless to say, it was gone long before morning. Oh, but that night, after a while it became known as the Night of Freedom. The gladiator pits echoed with the merry singing, shouting and laughter of overcharged Kaonites; on that night, Megartonus had the wonderful idea to give a drunken speech.

It was probably his most greatest one ever.

On that night, he vowed to build a spaceship - one made for war, with a name that would come to be both feared and respected throughout the entire universe.

"Well," Megatron chuckles, "I did promise all our brothers. Then there's the fact that the war seems to be slowly shifting from the surface of Cybretron to distant galaxies."

"There has been a large increase of Autobot operated energon mines," I comment.

He nods, "I plan to take the fight to them, to the cowards who sit back idly while their planet is being ripped apart by a war they took an oath to fight in."

"...That's why you asked for my hexad."

The leader of the Decepticons puts a servo on my shoulder, "Indeed, you were part of the last Energon Scouting crew in my army. When I realised yours was the last one, I decided to personally investigate the reason as to why your crew refused to be defeated like the rest."

I look at him as all the pieces fall into place, "And you saw footage from the ship's annual package of data logs, footage of us fighting."

"I recognised you immediately," he smiles, "but I thought you had fled the planet with the rest of the Genesis subjects on the dawn of the rebellion's uprising."

"My siblings and myself made sure everyone got to the ships, we helped keep the Autobot reinforcements back while they escaped."

He raises an optic ridge, "And I assume the Autobots overwhelmed you?"

"We had just been freed from fifty-nine vorns of slavery, abuse and...other unsavoury treatment," I sigh, forcing a faint smile, "honestly, I think after a while we just surrendered because we wanted some decent energon."


	4. Whisper your Darkest Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I post a chapter in Nebula's point of view? *looks at Light within the Darkness* No, no I did not...ooohh, y'all in for a real treat. She's crazy as shit and I love writing her. I imagine her to have a sultry, Jessica Rabbit kinda voice, just a bit higher than hers though.

~Nebula's POV~ 

Every little movement I make has a purpose, from my gait to the faint, curious tilt of my helm. Every little movement aimed at those who see me, from the mere beggars to the lord of the Decepticons himself. Soundwave is a spy, yes, but he's a basic one; a simple, silent, shadow. Me? Haha, no, I may be a spy, but I fall into the more complex category; I get my information with the use of a very specific set of steps.

Find target, let the target see me, tailor own personality to target's preferences, seduce target, wait till target boasts enough valuable information to deem them worthy, interface with target and finally; keep tabs on target for further information. If they have no noteworthy things to talk about then I simply ignore them...unless they're a good frag, then they're a toy for me to play with.

Truth be told, most of the time I make it up as I go along; the steps I take are more of a guideline than a must-be-followed-exactly-or-you-will-die sort of thing. But through it all I've never met a target who I couldn’t wrap strings around and turn them into my puppet. None of them escape me, once they're caught I own their very lives.

It's exhilarating.

* * *

I love danger, the higher the risk of death the more excited I get. Whenever I'm bored I usually find a dangerous situation to fall into or carry out an action that others would call stupidly suicidal.

I'm bored right now.

And the only dangerous thing I can think of is grabbing Soundwave's aft...

He's got a cute aft, small, but...perky...

"Neb."

I turn to look at Solarflare, "Mm?"

She just sighs and grabs my wrist, "Stop drifting away, we're at the med bay."

"Always such a rhyming genius," I chuckle, allowing myself to be dragged along.

Pretend to be a ditzy femme, an easy lay, helm full of air when really it's soaking in every little bit of information they say. Shield my true intentions behind this simple charade, for true power is knowledge and I want it all.

"Thank you Soundwave, I'll take them from here."

Oh, speak again sweetspark~

"Hello ladies."

Mm, like that~

My brother shuffles forward a little bit, "And, um, one mech."

The red grounder smiles, "Terribly sorry, won't happen again...White Dwarf, is it?"

"Yes," the white mech perks up, returning the smile, "and Red Giant is with Lord Megatron."

The medic's talking becomes background noise as he leads us to a side room of the main ward. Audials listen to low ranking grunts and nobodies, optics scanning for any little tidbits of leverage on anyone; some faces I recognise, back from my time as a pleasure-bot.

_Hips sway, servos rarely leave the pole, music loud and intoxicating as it pulses through me, ensnaring me in its spell. All optics on me, yes, see me, look all you want. I'm the most expensive femme here, it's free to watch, but a private show will cost you a vorns pay...unless I'm feeling generous._

I never forget a face.

_Famished and wanting, desire coiling and burning through their field. I can give it to you, anything you desire, just pay me and enjoy, my dear._

But none of them remember me, they may vaguely recognise my face, but at the end of the orbital I was just another whore. I remember them though, everything little important thing they said; the rich ones loved to boast about their political accomplishments. I'd relay them to Red, who told Megatronus, they never even suspected.

* * *

"Doctor, doctor," I chuckle as the last of my siblings leaves to explore the citadel, "leaving the best til last, are we?"

"Indeed," oh, he's good, he's onto me.

"Oh, Knock Out," I purr, leaning my hip against a berth and steadying myself with a servo, "you flatter me."

Medics are a key source of knowledge and information, they see someone at their weakest and have access so what can be twisted into solid leverage to pull ones strings. But this one's too smart, too cocky, too...pretty...hmm...

"You're a Towers mech."

"And you're very good at reading others I hear," Knock Out smirks as he gives me a quick, basic medical scan, "it seems the rumours are correct."

"So, you must have a story to spin as to how a Towers mech became Chief Medical Officer of the rebel army," the rich ones love to talk and brag, it doesn't matter how long he's been away from his kind, old habits die hard, "carrier and sire must be filthy rich to-"

"Sorry darling," he chuckles, scanning my wings, "I'll have to stop you there; I own nothing, because my half brother is the rightful heir to my family's holdings."

"Half..." ah, a knock-off, rare in the Towers, but not unheard of.

Interesting, very interesting indeed.

* * *

I gently rap my knuckles on the door again, rolling my optics as I bounce my weight from one pede to the other. It didn’t take long to wring the information of a certain mech’s whereabouts out of Knock Out; he’s almost as much of a gossip as I am.

Patient confidentiality my aft.

Just as I’m about to knock again I hear the faint, heavy sound of pedes getting closer to the door. I quickly rearrange my impatient expression into a sultry smile as I jut my hips slightly to the right, resting a servo on my right hip.

The door slides open and I smile coyly, “My Lord.”

Megatron looks more than a little surprised to see me, yet after the initial shock he returns the smile, “Nebula, I wasn’t expecting you to find my quarters quite so soon.”

I chuckle, “Well, I have my ways of finding out what I want.”

“Perhaps you can tell me these ‘ways’ of yours over some high grade?”

“If it has aluminium shavings the I’ll give you a demonstration,” I say as he leads me inside.

I smirk as the door slides closed behind me. _One down._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just introducing my characters; this'll be a slow burn.


	5. Bridging the Gap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a few orbitals after the last chapter. Also, things in bold are in old cybertronian.

~Starhopper's POV~

_There are twenty-nine Triple-Changer colonies established on the other side of the Sea of Rust. Ever since their liberation as slaves they've resided in their own little pockets of civilisation, away from the cities that oppressed their ancestors. The Council struggles to keep a peaceful relationship with the capital, and the number of ambassadors who have either quit, "vanished" or met an untimely demise has risen over the past few decavorns._

_The previous ambassador died from energon poisoning, a "complete mistake" was the statement that the chef gave to the investigators. However, because Triple-Changers are outside the reach of the Council, no one can press charges._

_Case in point: They hate outsiders._

"You asked for me, sir?"

"Indeed," Megatron looks up from his data pad, "are you up to speed with the recent events concerning the Triple-Changer outposts."

I bite my derma, looking away for a moment, "You mean...the bombings?"

"Yes, and I need your help."

"Because I'm the last ambassador left that they trusted?"

He nods, "I managed to secure a treaty with their leader before the incident, but it has become incredibly unstable since then."

"I'll see what I can do," I bow my helm and turn to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Sir?"

"The only thing keeping this alliance together is a Triple-Changer who goes by the name Blitzwing, you may want to speak to him."

_"Schar Hover?"_

_I pause and turn to look at the mech making his way towards me._

_Remember, they speak Primal Vernacular._

_"Starhopper," I correct him with a smile._

_He nods, "I your...um..."_

**_"_ _I speak the old words_ ** _**,"** I say in Old Cybertronian._

**_"Ah, good,"_ ** _his shoulders relax and beckons for me to follow, **"**_ **_**My** orders are to take you to High Command."_ **

_I thank him as I go to follow him,_ _**"May I ask your name?"** _

_"_ Blitzwing _."_

He's right there, sitting, smiling, laughing. When I heard about the bombings over the colonies I thought...

Legs tremble, wanting to take me to him; but after the Council, after Genesis...

I'm not the one he loved, I've changed too much. To go to him now would only hurt him, his lover is dead and I can't bring her back.

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Blitzwing.

_Fans roar, frame trembles, burning sensations coil and twist in my abdomen._

_**“I...I've never..."** _

**_“I know. Don’t worry, we’ll go slow."_ **

_He kisses me and I'm his._

I walk away, disappearing into the busy streets of Kaon; Megatron will have to find someone else to deal with the Triple-Changers.

* * *

None of my siblings know about Blitzwing - I never even mentioned him to them - so when I tell my other half I expected her to be surprised. But I should know by now that whatever you expect her to do, she's more likely to do the opposite.

"So," Nebula leans back in her chair and takes a sip of her highgrade, "you turn up at my door in the middle of the night, half way to deactivation from over drinking...all because of this mech?"

"Yeah," my helm throbs as I talk, "you've got a lot of experience with this sort thing-"

"What, love?" I flinch as she laughs, "Darling, sweetspark, I was a buymech; I pretended to love others for their credits."

I whimper, dammit, don't cry again...

She sighs, "But, I do have an idea as to how you can get a feel of what sort of mech he is now, if that's what you want."

"No fragging."

My sister smirks, "Perish the thought."

* * *

 

 ** _"Why does the Council need to see you now?"_** _Blitzwing grumbles as he escorts me as close to the edge of Trip-Changer territory as he dares,_ "Your leave is in three duin! Stupid, impatient politics."

 _I laugh_ , **_“Don’t worry, I’ll be back in an orn.”_**

I sigh, that was sixty-two vorns ago, fifty-nine of which were spent in captivity. Taking another sip of my highgrade I glance over at the other side of the street where my sister is talking to Blitzwing.

~How is he?~ I ask her through our bond.

~He’s good, real gentlemech~ She chirps back, ~...I asked him if he has anyone special~

I almost choke on my drink, ~What...what did he say?~

She doesn’t reply for a moment as the bond goes silent. I wait, tapping the edge of my cube as I struggle to pull my gaze away from the mech I once called my Conjunx Endura.

The bond brightens once more as I finally get my answer, ~...He really misses you, Star~

I feel a pang of longing as I look back at my drink, ~I’m ready~

~You sure?~

~No...tell him where I am~

There’s a long pause before she replies, ~He’s seen you~

Nanoclicks feel like decavorns as I wait for Blitzwing to approach, nerves begin to coil in my spark as I just sit here and stare at my drink; the need to just teleport away and forget all about this is absolutely overwhelming. But I wait.

“...Star?” Still the same deep, rumbling voice that used to melt my fear away now works it’s magic once more, filling my with confidence.

I take a deep invent and look up, “H-hi...Blitzwing.”

Fifty-nine vorns of fear, pain and torture suddenly become worth the wait at the sight of his face lighting up with joy. He lifts me up, my chair clatters to the ground as my legs dangle in the air, the tips of my pedes barely touching his knees; people turn to look. In any other circumstance I’d care about all the staring optics, but instead of trying to runaway I wrap my arms around neck and shake as the tears finally come.

“I’m sorry,” I gasp through my sobs, burying my face in his neck, “I’m...I’m s-so sorry I...I was gone f-for so long.”

His hold on me tightens, “I’m just...I’m just glad you’re alive.”

“ **I love you, dammit, I love you**.” I say in Old Cybertronian.

Blitzwing shifts me in his arms so he can see my face, he grins, “ **Love you too, my sweet Star**.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh, don’t like this one...could’ve done better but it’ll have to do.


	6. Hope for the Hopeless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dwarf is a stuttering little cupcake and I don’t know what to do with him sometimes. Also his chapters are very dialogue heavy, and when they're not they're confusing on purpose.

~White Dwarf’s POV~

The world around me has always been a sea of shapes and sound, always dark, no colour or light.

But that’s never stopped me from living my life.

I shouldn’t be running. I might hit a wall or knock someone over, but as always I put my faith in Primus and hope He’ll guide me to my destination once more. Why am I always late?

“White Dwarf!”

“O-oh,” I quickly stop in my tracks and turn back to bow clumsily at the leader of the Decepticons, “M-my Lord, I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was you!”

“No matter,” he says, oh, I hope I'm looking at his face and not his chest or above his helm, “I was talking to your brother the other orbital and he said you wished to speak to me about something.”

Oh dear, this isn’t a good time, “Um, yes, sir, b-but,” I point behind me, “I-I’m, um, late for lunch with my family and-“

“Ah, of course,” did he just nod? I can’t tell, it’s not loud enough here to see his every minute movement, “Well, perhaps you can come by my office later and we can talk.”

I nod, “Th-thank you, sir,” I point behind myself again, “I, uh, really need to go so, uh…”

I turn on my heels and run. Uh, take a right down this street, a left and another right, then…um…

~Red~ I call through my spark bond, ~I-I seem to be lost~

“Dwarf!”

I turn to my left and listen to the bustling street around me, using the noise to make out fuzzy shapes of the world around me, and through the crowd I can make out my older brother’s frame. I almost bounce over to him, flinging my arms around his waist in relief.

“Easy, brother,” he chuckles, disentangling himself from my arms and placing a servo between my wings, “come, our sisters are inside.”

I let him guide me into the restaurant and to a booth in the back corner where four frames of the same shape and size are sitting.

“Sweetspark!” my little sister, Nebula, croons as my brother and I approach the booth, “You made it, we were beginning to wonder if you were going to show.”

“S-sorry I'm late,” I say with a faint smile as Red sits next to Moonbeam and I take my seat next to him, which is also opposite Starhopper.

“We already ordered your drink,” Star says and I hear a scrapping as what I assume is my drink is pushed toward me, “low grade with platinum additives, just how you like it.”

I gasp, “Thank you,” and reach for my drink, the last time I had this was…

Best not to think about how long it’s been and just enjoy this blessing.

“Right,” Moonbeam says, I hear her frame shift as she leans forward, “down to business.”

“Aww, we’re not gonna order first?” Nebula asks.

~Is she pouting?~ I ask Red.

~Very much so~ he replies and I struggle to not grin.

This is good, just like when we would all meet up in Solarflare’s bar. We’d sit and catch up, enjoy one another’s company. It was nice.

…Why did this war have to happen?

“No,” Moonbeam sighs, “We’ll order la- Solarflare, please dispose of your sweet.”

“Frag off,” Solarflare mutters.

“Why are you in such a foul mood?”

My fiery sister chews even louder on her sweet, “I found my old bar.”

“Is it alright?” Red asks.

She huffs, “Thundercracker’s taken ownership of it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Starhopper murmurs.

“Yeah, well…frag ‘im. When I asked for the place back he said I could take it to Starscream. You can guess where he told me to shove it.”

“Well,” Moon pauses for a moment before continuing, “Does anyone else have any other news they wish to share?”

Red shifts in his seat, “I found out why Lord Megatron called us here. He’s planning on some sort of exodus to take out the Autobot’s off-planet energon mines, and he wants all his best warriors for the task.”

“I’d already guessed something like that,” Moon says.

“Yeah, well I've got something even better,” Nebula tone practically oozes with smugness at whatever it is she’s accomplished, “ _I've_ got at least twenty-five Decepticons wrapped around my little digit, and you’ll never guess who one of them is.”

“If it’s Soundwave then I’ll eat my whole cube,” Red Giant mutters.

“Not quite there yet, big brother,” the assassin chuckles, “but I do have the next best thing,” she leans forward in her seat, pausing for effect, “Megatron.”

Solarflare perks up, “When did this happen?”

“On the orbital we arrived.”

“So, we've only been here for two orns and you’ve already fragged twenty-five mechs, one of them being the big man himself?” Solarflare asks, “…Nice.”

“Right,” I don’t even have to ask my brother to know Moonbeam is rolling her optics, “Does anyone have any _important_ information to share with us?”

“I…I do,” Starhopper says before…getting up?

As I hear her pede steps get fainter when she walks outside, Nebula suddenly perks up, “Ok, guys, I need you to be on your best behaviour.”

“What’s going on?” Moonbeam asks, clearly on edge.

There’s just enough sound around us that I can make out Nebula’s servos being raised in a defensive manner, “Especially you, Moon, I haven’t seen Star so happy in a long time and I'm not about to let anyone frag that up.”

My eldest sister growls, “What’s. Going. On?”

“She…she’s got a…special friend.”

Another growl, “Nebula.”

“Ok, look, even I don’t know what the whole deal is with this guy, but he makes my sister happy and that’s all I need to know.”

I feel Red Giant shift beside me, “Hold on-”

“He treats her well, Red,” Nebula snaps, “Oh don’t look at me like that, I know you were gonna ask how he treats her, weren’t you?”

My brother huffs and there’s a pause before he speaks to me through our bond as Nebula and Moonbeam continue to snap at each other, ~May I get up please, brother~

~You’re not leaving, are you?~ I ask, this situation is getting out of servo and the last thing I want is for anyone to leave.

~No, I am getting another chair for our sister’s…friend…~

I give a sigh of relief as I get up, our sisters stop arguing as Red goes to get another chair.

“So, is he nice?” I ask nebula.

“He’s…yeah, yeah, he’s nice,” she had to think about what she was going to say.

That’s never a good thing.

Red comes back with a chair and places it at the end of the table as I hear a deep thunk, thunk of heavy pede steps. My brother sits next to Moonbeam and I retake my own seat as I hear the faint outline of my youngest sister approach, followed by the owner of the heavy steps.

Starhopper clears her throat, “Um…everyone…this is, Blitzwing. He’s my Conjunx Endura.”

Moonbeam half lunges in Nebula’s direction, “You never said anything about-”

“Hey, hey, hey, I said I didn’t know what the whole deal was, okay!” Nebula cries out as she shrinks back.

“Stop it!” Solarflare snaps, “mecha are looking.”

I shift awkwardly as Blitzwing sits in the spare seat and Star sits next to Nebula again.

I turn to the newcomer and look – hopefully – at his face, “H-hello.”

“Hello,” he mutters.

Good, I'm not the only one feeling a little uncomfortable then.

The silence is eerie, having five siblings means you're used to constant chatter, but this…

To everyone’s complete surprise, Red is the first one to speak up, “So, Blitzwing, you’re a Triple-Changer?”

Ah, I was probably looking at his chest then. Idiot.

“Y-yes.”

“And you speak Old Cybertronian?”

I don’t hear an answer and I nudge Red.

“Ah, you’ll have to vocalise your answers,” he says, “my brother here is blind, he can’t see you nod or shake your helm.”

“Oh, so sorry, I completely forgot. Star did tell me, but-”

“I-it’s fine,” I smile, then say one of the very few sentences I know how to say in Old Cybertronian, **“I can still hear.”**

Blitzwing perks up at hearing his native language and I find myself feeling very chuffed.

~Thanks~ Starhopper says.

Red, Nebula, Star and I continue to talk with Blitzwing for a while. Eventually Solarflare joins in, but Moon beam remains very quiet in her little corner, always observing, calculating. Until…

“How did you two meet?” Moonbeam asks.

The quaint conversation abruptly stops and a sense of dread hangs over our group. The thing is, Moon has always been like this; overly protective of us all. When Red was sentences to trial by combat – which led to him becoming a gladiator – she had gone straight to the Senate and pleaded with them to reconsider, even though he’d shot a fellow officer. Whenever Solarflare got a new partner, Moon would berate them the first time she met them, asking dozens of questions that eventually scared them away.

“I was…” Blitzwing pauses before speaking in Old Cybertronian to Starhopper.

I make out a few words, like ‘how’ and ‘say’, but he’s speaking so quickly I can’t process the rest. Star speaks back just as fast, but she does say ‘appointed’ very slowly in Common.

“Ah,” Blitzwing says, “Yes, I was a-point-ed to be her guard.”

“Bodyguard,” Star quickly adds, “so, we were around one another quite a lot and, well, we slowly developed a friendship, which became what it is today.”

Moonbeam hums, approval, good, excellent, “Does he know?”

Nope, not excellent, bad, very bad.

Starhopper sucks in a deep invent, “…Yes.”

The snarl from Moon makes me jump and her EM field lashes out uncontrollably; anger, betrayal, distain.

“How much?”

“Only things about me,” Star’s voice is surprisingly even yet defiant as she faces the full brunt of our sister’s contained wrath, “because that’s all he wants to know.”

“Is this the project thing?” Blitzwing asks.

“Yes.”

“Ah, I…I am sorry you all had to go through that,” he says, “the way that Starhopper told it to me…”

“Alright,” Moonbeam sighs.

We all look at her.

“I approve.”

Star makes an odd choking sound, “Wh-what?”

“I said I approve,” Moon repeats, “he’s nice, accepts you went through the pit and back, still cares for you even after what we went through, treats you well, knows how to fight… Yes, you can keep him.”

I can’t tell if that clank was Nebula or Solarflare face palming at our sister’s choice of words. I struggle to not giggle

“If he doesn’t harm you, then I too have no objections,” Red says.

“I think we all agree, right Dwarf?” Solarflare asks.

“Yeah,” I nod.

* * *

I pause for a moment, taking a deep invent before lowly letting it out in an attempt to steady my nerves.

 _I am content with the present_ , I tell myself, _whatever the future holds for me I can face because I have Primus by my side._

_Thunk, thunk, thunk._

I rock back on my heels, the servo I had just used to knock on the door now shaking as I clutch my wrist to try and steady it.

“Hello Lord Megatron,” I mutter to myself, “I have some news that you may not like but- no, too aggressive. Um…dammit.” I pout, but quickly try to show a welcoming smile instead as the door opens.

“Ah, White Dwarf,” ok, yes, good, that’s Megatron’s voice, I got the right place, “I assume you’re here about earlier.”

I nod quickly, afraid to open my intake just in case I say something stupid.

“Come in then,” I hear him step back into his office and I follow, closing the door behind myself.

The leader of the Decepticons sits down behind what I assume to be his desk. I take a few tentative steps forward; it’s far too quiet in here to know where things are, so I hum softly while tapping one servo on my thigh while using the other to feel ahead, just so I don’t accidently hit something.

“Do you need help?” Megatron asks and I hear the scrapping of his chair.

“No, no, I've got it,” I insist as I make out the back of a chair and grab it, “I-it’s just a bit quiet here, can’t hear where I-I am.”

“So you’re like Kaon?”

“Excuse me?”

“A member of the DJD, he actually has no optics at all. But your condition is not why you're here?”

Oh dear, here we go, “N-no, sir. I’m, uh, here to, uh,” Primus guide me, “it’s just that, uh, I just wanted to let you know th-that I, um, I can’t fight.”

There’s a small pause and I shift in my chair, balling my servos up into fists.

“So, you don’t know how to fight or you won’t?” Megatron asks.

Deep invent, the future is not set yet, you don’t know how he’ll react, “I…I w-won’t,” I sit up straight and try to still my shaking frame, “I-I am a p-p-pacifist, sir.”

You're useless in this war, those who can’t fight have no place here, why even try to-

“Very well.”

I open my intake, but nothing comes out, blinking my shutters rapidly I say, “P-pardon, sir?”

“What, you thought I was going to be angry?” he chuckles, “I suppose you'd be surprised to hear then, that there are about another dozen pacifists in the Decepticon army.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, though I must ask, what led you to such a lifestyle?”

“Oh, u-um,” I blush, scratching the back of my neck, this is not how I envisioned this conversation going, “r-religion, sir.”

“Which one?”

“The Sect of Solus Prime.”

“And what else do they teach?”

Wait, he's actually interested?! “W-well, it has a really small following because it’s from the Copper Age and no one has really made a place of gathering for those who follow the Sect of Solus Prime. What I'm trying to say is there isn’t really a ‘teaching’, just manuscripts from back from when the Thirteen were individually worshiped rather than being worshiped under today’s common Primus Sect.”

“Fascinating.”

I give him a little smile, “Y-you really think so, sir?”

“Of course, and while I'm a little busy right now I’d love to hear more about the other religions of the Primes at another time. That is, if you know about them.”

“O-oh, yes, I, um, my main job at the Iacon Archives was cataloguing religious artefacts and manuscripts.”

I think he just nodded, maybe? “Very well, I’ll comm. you when I have more time.”

“Yes sir,” I bow and take my leave, a little spring in my step as I go, Red’s never going to believe this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> World building is so fun; I just added an entire religious element that includes over a dozen religions to this story in the span of 5 minutes :)


	7. Don't get Burned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that plot I see?

~Solarflare’s POV~

Upbeat music and smiling faces, someone shouts “Cheers”, followed by the clinking of cubes. I screw up my olfactory sensor and narrow my optics, I should be choosing the music, and those drinks should’ve been mixed with my servos.

This is _my_ bar!

I wanna punch someone so badly right now. Preferably Thundercraker or Starscream, right in their smug, pompous faces.

Stupid rich bots.

“Aw, turn that frown-”

I glare at Nebula as she approaches; her cocky grin quickly becomes a nervous smile.

~Hey now, don’t go burning the place down~

“I’ll melt that smug knock-off before I harm a single panel of this place,” I mutter, turning my gaze to the seeker behind the bar.

Twenty vorns of savings went into this place; I bought it after I quit my job as a waitress in Helex and moved here to be closer to Red. He was all alone in the gladiator pits and it was a good idea at the time. Probably the best idea I’ve ever had. Place was a dump when I bought it and it took me another three vorns to sort it out, then another four to really make a name for myself. I put my life into this place…

This is my life.

_So cold, I can feel the energon in my lines beginning to freeze._

Was my life.

I wanna kill something.

Dammit! I used to make drinks for a living now I love burning Autobot’s faces off!

Frag this damn war.

I bang my fist on the table before grabbing my high grade and downing the rest of it.

“Get me another one,” I huff, sliding the cube towards Nebula just as she sits down.

Her optics narrow, “A please would be nice.”

“ _Please_ ,” I growl through clenched denta.

She sighs and takes the cube, “How many have you had anyway?”

“Not enough,” I say as she gets up.

My sister rolls her optics and heads over to the bar.

“Solarflare, I thought I might find you here.”

An image of me shoving a fist right into Starscream’s chest immediately comes to mind.

Right, deep invents, “Commander.”

Primus, being polite hurts.

Starscream gives me a thin smile, taking the seat that Nebula was just in, “I must say, you're looking lovely on this fine orbital.”

That is not what he said to me last time we talked, “What do you want?”

“Right, straight to the point then,” the SIC mutters, he suddenly becomes a lot quieter, “Look, I…I…” he sighs, “I need your help.”

My optics slowly widen; I snort, a grin spreads across my face.

I don’t think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.

“I'm serious.”

My laughter slowly dies down, I wipe the coolant from the corners of my optics, “W-ha-what?”

Starscream crosses his arms, “I said ‘I’m serious’.”

“Okay,” I chuckle, yeah right; I’ll play along, “what do you need?”

There's a long pause as he shifts in his seat and refuses to meet my gaze. Nebula comes back with my drink as well as one for herself; she pouts at the mech in her seat and grabs one of her own, sitting beside me.

The silver seeker glares at her, “What is she doing here?”

“She’s my sister, genius,” I snap, “now stop avoiding my question, what ot you need?”

Nebula looks from me to Starscream, ~Should I go?~

~You stay right here, I may need a witness~

The SIC opens his intake, and for a moment no sound comes out, then, he seems to final swallow his pride and speak, “I need to court you.”

My optics narrow, denta grind together, I snap my digits over my high grade and a small spark of fire leaps out from the tip of my index digit. The drink is set alight across the surface, Starscream’s optics widen and I grab the cube, lifting the flaming drink to my derma and take a sip. All the while Nebula is smirking behind her own cube.

“Could you repeat that, _sir_?” I say, emphasizing the final word by slamming by cube back down.

“Outlier?” He chuckles, sounding extremely nervous.

“Pyromancer,” I say with a soft smile.

“R-right,” Starscream clears his throat, optics darting to my flaming drink, “well that, uh, is actually quite helpful; considering how the better offs of Vos view such abilities.”

I blink, frowning, “What the slag are you rambling about?”

“Hold on, just let me restart,” he takes a deep invent and puts on that same thin smile, “I need someone to be my courted for the election of Vos’ next ruler, and after considering my limited options I have come to the conclusion that you are best fit for the job.”

“…Wait,” I rest my forehelm in my servo as my processor tries to comprehend what I just heard, “So…you want to pretend to court me…to win an election?”

Hey, I saw those optics roll prissy boy!

“ _Yes_.”

It only takes me a moment to think of my answer, leaning back in my chair and feeling absolutely smug I say: “I…decline.”

His left optic shutters twitch, “You…you clearly don’t understand what’s at stake here.”

I sigh, “Then enlighten me.”

“Lord Megatron needs the air support to win this war,” you better stop using that condescending tone, glitch, or you’re getting nothing, “and the best way to get that is with me winning the election that takes place in a vorn. One of the best ways to get votes is to show the citizens that already have a high born, competent mate that is also capable of providing an heir.”

I let out a completely spontaneous bark of laughter, “An _heir_?”

“But it’ll be fake,” he continues quickly, glancing at my burning cube as I take a long gulp of my drink, “th-that doesn’t hurt?”

“Fire doesn’t burn me,” I growl, glaring at him, “but you will if you don’t explain this plan of yours right now.”

“Of course, yes, well,” there’s that damn smile, “I plan on training you to at least pass as a Towers bot, high born, creators killed in the war, you joined the Decepticons to avenge your family and instantly fell for me-”

“No,” I chuckle, this is ridiculous, just stupid, “C’mon, Neb, let’s go”.

“Wait,” I love making rich slaggers sound desperate, “the Conjunx Ritus Act of Profference.”

“Yeah,” I scoff, “the act of giving a sparkfelt gift, as if you could give-”

He spreads his arms wide, looking around the room, “It can be yours again.”

My jaw hangs open, words caught in my throat. My bar. My home. My life. I clench my denta and fists as his thin smile becomes a smug grin; he's got me, and he fragging knows it.

“Just think about it,” Starscream chuckles, and with that he gets up and leaves.

***

I punch the code to our shared room in; flames lick at my plating as I storm inside, Nebula hot on my heels.

“Solarflare.”

“What?!” I spin around and snarl at her.

She steps forward, servos hovering over my burning shoulders, “Deep vents sweetspark.”

I take a deep invent, letting it out through clenched denta, “I'm gonna kill him.”

My sister gives me that look, the look she makes when she’s preparing to talk me like I’m a damn sparkling, “And what will that accomplish?”

Derma purse together, “…Nothing.”

Nebula smiles as the embers on my frame quickly vanish along with most of my anger; she carefully puts an arm around my shoulders, leading me to our berthroom. I give an exhausted sigh as I fall back on my berth, emotionally drained. It isn’t even midday.

Nebula sits on the opposite side of my berth and flops back so her helm is beside mine, “Should we get Moon?”

I grit my denta, “You're gonna tell her anyway.”

She sighs, “Y-…yeah…”

I hate it; hate how our sister tries to micromanage us, keeping us in line like her little soldiers of revenge. I can take care of myself. Where was she when Red was sentenced to death in the Pits? Did she risk her life to help the Decepticons before the war was even on the horizon?! Why does she care now?!

I hate her.

“Do you wanna tell her?” my sister’s voice pulls me from my bitter thoughts.

“Get her to come here,” I huff, “make her work for the information. I saw that!”

Nebula smirks, rolling her optics again as she gets up, “I’ll get the others too; Primus know Moon will want their input.”

***

I tap my pede and stare at Moon; she folds her arms and leans back on the couch.

“Interesting.”

My optics widen, “That…that’s all you have to say? _Interesting!_ ”

She nods slowly.

Starhopper quickly speaks up, “I think you should at least consider his offer.”

“No,” Red Giant growls; stand upright from his previous position against the wall, “absolutely not, Starscream should pick someone who actually wants him.”

“Thank you,” I sigh, going to stand next to my brother, “anyone else care to weigh in?”

“N-not really,” White Dwarf murmurs.

I smile, this went a lot better than I expected, “Good, then I’ll just go tell-”

“Do it.”

Oh, if you weren’t my sister you'd be dead right now.

~Deep invents~ Nebula says.

I do just that and force a smile, “Moonbeam?”

“Help him where he needs to get then dump him,” she shrugs, “you get your bar back, he gets to be the Winglord of Vos and Megatron gets his fliers; literally everyone wins in this situation.”

“It’s not about winning,” I snap, “it’s…it’s…”

~A matter of principle~ Starhopper adds.

“It’s a matter of principle,” I say, not taking my gaze off Moonbeam while sending my thanks to Star across our bond, “and pride, something you know all about.”

“Also,” Nebula gets up to stand beside me, causing Red shift awkwardly, “who was the one who said they refused to ‘spread their legs and submit’ yadda, yadda, anyway, my point is- ”

“Your argument isn’t very valid,” Moon cuts in, “that applies to me, but as the past will show-”

“Don’t,” I snarl.

“-Solarflare has no trouble with such things,” my other half looks to me, “how many-”  

“Fourteen!” I shout, struggling to not lunge at her and wring her damn neck, “…Not including short flings.”

“Honestly, I thought you'd care less about your pride and more about the less fortunate.”

I frown, glaring at Moon out the corner of my optics, “What do you mean?”

“The situations in the seeker colony of Lunar Two isn’t good,” Moonbeam state rather matter-of-factly, “the rich are ruling over the common folk, treating them like scrap. Since the fall of Vos about twenty-six sparklings and younglings have died-”

My spark sinks as my legs give out. Dammit. My biggest weakness: the little bots, and not just sparklings and younglings; just…those worse off than I am.

I sigh and swallow what's left of my pride and shattered will, “Fine…I’ll talk to Starscream.”


End file.
